5 Ways to Get Rid of Microplastics in Your Body

Early research has identified potential correlations between microplastics (plastic fragments smaller than 5 millimeters) and health issues such as oxidative stress, inflammation and abnormal immune responses. With the detection of microplastics in human vessels, stools, and more than half of human organ systems, there is growing interest in finding ways to help the body eliminate them. As science-backed human evidence on microplastic detoxification strategies continues to evolve, reducing exposure and maintaining overall health may be the best approach until the science advances.

1. Maintain healthy physiological function

• Supporting normal gastrointestinal, renal, hepatic, and respiratory function is a reasonable strategy to maintain the body’s normal waste processing processes. However, the extent to which these systems remove microplastics in humans remains unclear. Healthy habits such as adequate hydration, regular physical activity, and a balanced diet support normal physiological function. However, there is no solid human evidence that any particular diet or program can promote the elimination of microplastics.
• Research indicates that the human body naturally eliminates at least some microplastic particles, particularly through the gastrointestinal tract. The presence of microplastics in urine and stool shows that some ingested particles are excreted rather than retained.

2. Increase dietary fiber

• Results from laboratory and animal research suggest that dietary fiber (found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes) may help trap microplastic particles in the gastrointestinal tract and promote their elimination in the stool.
• Although there is a need to prove that a high-fiber diet increases microplastic excretion or removes microplastics from human body tissues, increasing dietary fiber promotes gut health and bowel regularity.
• In a laboratory study, insoluble fiber from wheat bran served as an absorbent to reduce microplastics in simulated intestinal fluid.
• Corresponding animal studies found that wheat bran fiber reduced intestinal microplastic levels in a dose-dependent manner, such that the more bran fiber one ate, the more microplastics were reduced. However, human evidence is still needed.

3. Consume probiotics

• Preliminary research suggests that certain probiotic bacteria may bind to microplastic particles in the gastrointestinal tract and eliminate them in natural waste.
• Animal studies have shown that specific probiotic strains can reduce microplastic retention in the gut; however, human evidence is lacking.
• Additional studies have identified a probiotic in kimchi that retains a strong hold on nanoplastics (tiny plastic particles ranging from 1 to 1,000 nanometers). It retained this stickiness even in harsh, acidic intestinal environments in a laboratory-created human gut model and in mice, where it more than doubled the elimination of plastic in stool compared to mice that did not receive it.
• However, these results require further research to determine whether this effect would apply to the human body.

4. Eat more foods rich in polyphenols

• Experimental research has indicated an association between microplastics and biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation.
• Early human research suggests that polyphenols may reduce some inflammatory markers associated with microplastic exposure, although there is no evidence that polyphenol-rich foods remove microplastics from human tissues.
• Polyphenols are natural compounds found in plant-based foods and beverages that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
• In one trial, researchers administered a mixture of 43 polyphenolic compounds to 98 adults for 28 days. Results showed that the intervention reduced several inflammatory markers in participants with higher exposure to microplastics.

5. Reduce exposure to microplastics

Without a clinically proven method to remove microplastics from human tissues, reducing exposure is the best evidence-based strategy to limit future uptake of microplastics.

Since exposure to microplastics can occur through ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact, exposure to microplastics can be reduced using the following strategies:

• Reduce or eliminate consumption of plastic bottled water and switch to filtered tap water. Minimizing the use of bottled water can help reduce the risk of particle absorption, as microplastics from plastic bottles can leach into the water.
• Avoid heating food in plastic. Research indicates that microwaving food in plastic containers or covering hot food with plastic wrap significantly increases the excretion of microplastic particles into food.
• Store food in glass or stainless steel whenever possible. Using reusable glass or stainless steel containers for leftovers, fatty foods, hot foods and drinks can reduce contact between food and plastic.
• Minimize exposure to household dust. Wet dusting and vacuuming with HEPA filtration can reduce indoor dust load. Improving ventilation can reduce exposure to airborne microplastic fibers.
• Switch from plastic tea to paper or loose leaf tea, use a non-plastic strainer, and avoid single-use plastic tea bags. Tea bags containing plastic, especially those made from polypropylene or nylon, can release microplastic particles into the tea during brewing.